Quite Frankly: Jordan Franks helps Seals sweep Giants

Pitcher Jordan Franks scattered nine hits and tossed a complete game in the Humboldt Seals 8-3 win over the Northern Humboldt Giants in the opener of Tuesday's American Legion baseball doubleheader at Newburg Park.

"He's capable of doing that every time out," said Seals head coach Keith DeMello. "But he's got to believe he can do it."

Franks helped his own cause, walloping a solo home run over the left-field fence leading off the bottom of the fourth inning.

Batting out of the No. 9 spot, Franks also singled to left in the second and reached base in the sixth when he hustled to first after a third strike went to the backstop.

The Seals also took the nightcap, 8-4, as Mark DeLao allowed just two earned runs in five innings of work. Matt Kirk tossed two scoreless innings of relief and contributed two RBIs.

Prior to Frank's homer, the Seals scored solo runs -- all unearned -- in each of the first three innings.

In the first, Kirk reached on an infield error and scored on James Pastori's double to left center. The next inning, Kody Ables doubled to left center and subsequently scored on another infield fielding error.

Then in the third, James Slade stroked a one-out single, stole second and third bases, and came in on an errant throw.

The Giants kept the score close with three runs of their own.

Tyler Kiel led off the ballgame with a double to left center and Kyle Vina drove him in with a clutch two-out single to center. In the top of the fourth, Danny Bednar smacked a leadoff double to left center and he eventually came in on Tommy Souza's sacrifice fly to right field.

Wallace executed a beautiful hit-and-run single to right in the fifth to send Kiel -- who had singled -- scampering to third, where he came home on Bednar's RBI single to left.

Northern Humboldt starter Ryan Patrick, who struck out five, was hurt by the Giants' five errors during his four innings on the mound.

"I think both of our pitchers did a very good job but we didn't play well behind them today," said Northern Humboldt head coach Troy Ghisetti.

Trevor Gallian relieved Patrick in the bottom of the fifth, and retired the Seals in order, aided by shortstop Cameron Wallace's diving robbery in short left of DeLao's liner.

But the Seals, nursing a slim 4-3 lead, scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth to put icing on the cake.

Zach Barnhart's double ignited the fireworks, and Pastori and Riley Jackson later each whacked RBI singles.

Included in the four-run rally was Jaime McCrigler's chop-turned-grasscutter, a seeing-eye single which eked its way among three fielders and knocked in two runs.

"I'm very pleased with how our staff is doing. They've given a up a total of nine runs in our last six games," said DeMello.

Several Seals made good defensive plays.

Right-fielder Slade fielded Zach Anderson's single and fired home to get a Giant trying to score from second in the top of the fourth, and first baseman Jackson made two scoops on low throws to get outs. The home team also pulled off an 8-6-4 putout to nab a baserunner who overran second on a double.

Tarpey tip: Both Legion teams are headed out of town Thursday, the Seals to the 31st annual Firecracker (wood bat) Tournament in Yakima, Wash., and the Giants to the Muckdogs Invitational in Reno, Nev.